Electrical amplification to woodwind musical instruments



y 1961 G. BARRON 2,984,140

ELECTRICAL AMPLIFICATION TO woonwmn MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed May 14, 1958 GEORGE BARRON INVENTOR.

United States Patent ELECTRICAL AMPLIFICATION TO WOODWIND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS George Barron, P.0. Box 1114, Longview, Wash.

Filed May 14, 1958, Ser. No. 735,178

2 Claims. (Cl. 84-1.04)

This invention relates generally to the amplification of music, and more particularly to productions from woodwind musical instruments such as the clarinet, saxophone, bassoon, flute, piccolo and including such instruments as the oboe and onbocal wherein double reeds are utilized. Tone or sound is produced in its purest quality in all instruments of the woodwind family at or near the mouthpiece thereof by a reed or reeds associated with the mouthpiece of the instrument.

It is well known that woodwind instruments are relatively weak in volume output compared with the brasses (horns) which have the advantage of forcibly emitting their tones or sounds from the single outlet at the bell of the instrument and as a consequence thereof present no problem in playing before a microphone for amplification.

Percussion instruments such as drums, bells and vibes are naturally loud.

The strings, the violins, guitars, and string basses have enjoyed electrical amplification for some time. The violins and string basses have their tones or sounds picked up by a contact microphone through vibration of the instrument. The guitars have their tones produced by steel strings activating electromagnets and amplified.

Woodwind instruments of the types above mentioned generally comprise an elongated tube provided with a reed at one of its ends, spaced apart tone openings intermediate its ends, and with keys covering the openings. With all the openings closed the instrument when blown would produce the lowest note in its scale which is emitted from the open end or bell of the instrument. As each key is released upwardly along the tube the pitch of the tone produced is progressively raised and emitted from each tone opening so released. Accordingly in tone amplification of a woodwind instrument it has heretofore been necessary for one playing the instrument to continually maneuver the instrument, or rather the released tone openings, relative to the microphone in an effort to achieve uniformity of tone output and amplification.

Accordingly it is the principal object of my invention to provide woodwind instruments with new and novel means in the form of a single electrical pickup attached to the instrument and in open communication with the interior of the body of the instrument at or near the mouthpiece thereof where the tone of the instrument is produced in its purest quality. The tones are transmitted from this single outlet to a remote means of amplification thereby enabling a soloist to devote his entire attention to his musical rendition with total disregard to the location of the means of amplification.

Amplification of woodwind instruments in accordance with my invention brings this relatively weak group of instruments up to par with any others in volume, achieves a better balance musically in any band or orchestra, and enables a soloist to display his finest talent.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter de- Patented May 16, 1961 scribed and claimed, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figures 1 2 and 3 are side elevational views respectively of the mouthpiece, barrel section and a fragment of the upper main section of a clarinet illustrating the fact that the invention may be selectively applied to any one of the three.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the upper body section of a bassoon showing the invention applied to the bocal or mouth pipe thereof.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing the adaptability of the invention to the head joint of a piccolo, flute and bass flute.

Figure 6 is a side elevational view on an enlarged scale of the invention applied by threaded attachment to the tubular wall of an instrument.

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 showing the invention secured by soldering to a tubular instrument wall of insufiicient thickness to accommodate the threaded attachment of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is an exploded view of the components of an electrical pickup in position for assembly.

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic view of an amplifier in electrical circuit with a rheostat for controlling the volume of amplification; and

Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 6 illustrating a modified form of attachment.

With continuing reference to the drawing, wherein like reference characters designate like parts, and with particular reference to Figures 1 to 3, numerals 1, 2 and 3 indicate respectively the mouthpiece, barrel section and upper main section of a clarinet, all being of conventional hollow tubular construction.

In Figure 4 reference numeral 4 indicates the bocal or mouth pipe of a bassoon, and reference numeral 5 in Figure 5 indicates the head joint of a flute or piccolo. The electrical pickup indicated generally at 6 in Figures 1 to 7 and 10 is adapted for attachment to the tubular members of the musical instruments just described or to other instruments having similar tubular components, by means of a hollow base 7 at all times in open com- 1 munication with the interior of the instrument at a point spaced inwardly from the innermost end of the reed or reeds or other tone producing elements, except in a fiute, bass flute and piccolo, where the base is in open communication with the end thereof nearest the mouthpiece. Where the wall 8 of the tubular member, as in Figure 6, is of sufiicient thickness the base 7A is secured thereto by a hollow externally threaded stem 10. If the wall 8A as in Figure 7 is not thick enough for drilling and tapping, the base 7B may be silver soldered to the wall as at 11. In Figure 10 the base 70 is provided with a hollow stem 10A attached by a forced fit to the interior of a resilient sleeve 12 into whose bottom end is similarly fitted the top end of a hollow stem 13 threadedly secured at its bottom end to the wall 88 as shown or by silver soldering if desired or necessary. The resilient sleeve 12 insulates the electrical pickup from any mechanical sounds caused by the operation or manipulation of the keys of the instrument.

The bases above referred to are all identical as are the electrical pickups shown supported by them. The attachments shown in Figures 1 to 7 and 10 is illustrative of the fact that the invention may be readily attached to any tubular woodwind instrument, including flutes and piccolos, in such a manner as to pick up the tone or sound at its source where tone quality is purest.

The electrical pickup whose component parts are best illustrated in Figure 8 comprises a cylindrical casing 15 and a base'16 for the casing and a housing 17 secured to the base. Mounted within the casing 15 is a polariree 3 ized electromagnet 18 and an armature in theform of a diaphragm 19. The coil of the electromagnet is in circuit as at 20 with two spring contacts 21 carried by a disc 22 of dielectric material also disposed'within the casing 15. A'projection 23 on' the housing 17 is of hollow construction for admission to the interior of the housing one end of electrical conductors 25 for attachment to the spring contacts 21. The opposite end'of the conductors is connected to the input of a cascade which may typically comprise amplifier 26, potentiometer or volume control 27 (pedal operated if desired), further amplifier and volume control' 28 and29 respectively and loudspeaker or other electro-acoustic translating device 30.

The electrical pickup can be quickly and conveniently attached to the base 7 by means of a snap ring 32 disposed therein and engageable with a cooperating projection 33 provided on the bottom of the pickup supporting base 16. In all of the attachments herein shown and described it will be readily apparent that because of the uninterrupted open communication between the bottom end of thebases 7, 7A,,7B, 7C and the interior of their respective instruments and the open top and of each of the bases being adjacent their respective armatures 19, the tones of purest quality will be picked up by the armatures;

Since the invention comprehends the. open communication of an electrical pickup with the interior of any woodwind musical instrument at or near the tone source for the purposes above pointed out, I do not wish to be limited to the various types of attachments herein shown and described which are only exemplary of others which couldbe used withequal effectiveness.

While I have shown particularforms of embodiment of my.invention I am aware that many minor changes therein will readily suggest themselves to others skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of. the invention. Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to' protect by Letters Patent is: s t v v 1. In amusical instrument havingja hollow tubular body within which sound wavesare produced by air column entering one :end of the instrument; the improvement'comprising' an electrical pick-up attached in its entirety to said hollow bodyon the exterior thereof and in open communication with the'interior of the hollow body, said pick-up comprising a' hollow base, hollow tubular means secured at one of its ends to and in uninterrupted open communication with the interior of said base and secured at its opposite end to theexterior of said hollow body and in uninterrupted open communication with the interiorthereof at a point remote from said one end of the instrument, a casing mounted 4 upon the base, a polarized electromagnet and an arma= ture comprising a diaphragm disposed within said casing, a disc of dielectric material disposed within said casing, a pair of electrical contacts secured to said disc, a housing for said casing attached to said base and having an opening therein, said electromagnet being connected to said electrical contacts and thereby adapted for connection to an amplifiercircuit entering said housing through said opening therein, and whereby sound waves are transmitted acoustically through said tubular means to said pick-up.

2. In a musical instrument having a hollow tubular body within which sound waves are produced by air column entering one end of the instrument; the improvement comprising an electrical pick-up attached in its entirety to said hollow body on the exterior thereof and in uninterrupted open communication with the interior of the hollow body, said pick-up comprising a hollow base, a first hollow tubular member secured at one of its ends to and in uninterrupted open communication with the interior of said base and secured at its opposite end to and in uninterrupted open communication with the interior of a second hollow tubular member of sound-insulating material secured at its opposite end to and in uninterrupted open communication with one end of a third hollow tubular member whose opposite end is secured to the exterior of said hollow body and in uninterrupted open communication with the interior of said instrument at, a point remote from said one end of the instrument, a casing mounted upon the base, a polarized electromagnet and an armature comprising a diaphragm disposed within said casing, a disc of dielectric material disposed within said casing, a pair of electrical contacts secured tovsaid disc, a housing for said casing attached to said base and having an opening therein, said electromagnet being connected to said electrical contacts and therebyadapted for connection to an amplifier circuit entering said housing through said opening therein, and whereby sound waves are transmitted acoustically through said tubular members to said pick up, and whereby mechanical sounds caused by oper-' ation of keys of the instrument are excluded by said sound-insulating hollow tubular stem.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,527,621 Berman Feb. 24, 1925 2,138,500 Miessner Nov. 29, 1938 2,175,325 Sunshine Oct. 10, 1939 2,198,521 Whitelegg Apr. 23, 1940 2,413,062 Miessner Dec. 24, 1946 2,494,390 Johnson Jan. 10, 1950 

